2016 was pretty rough on everyone, and that included us, too. Our full-time attention was focused elsewhere and left little time for writing for this site. Yes, we kept up on local news over on our Twitter feed, but it wasn’t the same.

We’re writing to say that 2017 is going to be different. Starting NOW.

We’re coming back, Ravenna.

In the coming weeks we will be dusting the cobwebs off the ol’ RavennaBlog.com and returning to this space to cover local Northeast Seattle news and events again. We won’t be 100% right away — some recovery time in 2017 is also required — but we hope to be there in a couple months.

We’re still gathering details at this time, but a carjacking in another part of Seattle developed into a pursuit including shots fired from the fleeing vehicle in our area. We have numerous reports from residents of gunfire heard in the vicinity of 35th Ave NE between NE 75 and 65th Sts.

The suspect was taken into custody near NE 65th St and 35th Ave NE just after 2:00pm, and believed to be injured in the process.

Updates to follow.

UPDATE (2:18pm): We’re hearing of multiple motor vehicle collision scenes up and down 35th Ave NE. Recommend using 25th and 40th Aves NE for north-south travel through the area. Place to AVOID is 35th Ave NE between NE 65th and 75th Sts.

UPDATE (2:25pm): Here now some tweets from residents during the pursuit:

We know of three SPD vehicles smashed up during the pursuit, trying to stop the fleeing carjacked vehicle: NE 45th St and Roosevelt Way NE, on 35th Ave NE near NE 70th St, and another on NE 68th St at 38th Ave NE.

UPDATE (4:33pm): The Seattle Police Department Blotter has the timeline up now. In total, two cars stolen at gunpoint in two different locations, multiple shots fired, at least three SPD vehicles with major damage, several officers and uninvolved motorists invited in collisions, and one dead suspect.

Today’s incident began around 12:30 PM when the suspect entered a downtown coffee shop armed with a handgun, leading employees to call police.

The man then fled to a tattoo parlor at 2nd Avenue and Lenora Street leading to another 911 call. After leaving the shop, the suspect reportedly stole a red Volkswagen at gunpoint and drove to the Montlake area. There, the armed suspect reportedly stole a second vehicle.

Officers began pursuing the suspect in Montlake, where they reported coming under fire from the fleeing suspect.

The man then drove onto westbound 520 and northbound onto Interstate 5 before exiting in the Ravenna neighborhood.

The suspect fired at officers at Northeast 68th Street and 35th Avenue NE. Officers returned fire, fatally wounding the man. He is believed to be a white male in his 30s.

Currently our top two candidates moving on to the November 3rd general election are Rob Johnson (33.72% with 3558 votes) and Michael Maddux (22.82% with 2408 votes).

Incumbent Councilmember Jean Godden is currently in third with 21.07% of the total (2224 votes). Former Ravenna-Bryant Community Association President Tony Provine is in fourth with 13.73% (1449 votes), and Abel Pacheco is in fifth with 8.39% (885 votes).

From here on out, and until the election is certified two weeks from now on Tuesday, August 18, King County Elections will post updates at 4:15pm. We’ll also add those new results to this page.

UPDATE (Thursday, August 6): As of 4:30pm today, two days after the primary, Rob Johnson is still in first place with 33.17% (5200 votes). Michael Maddux increased his lead further over incumbent Jean Godden — 24.48% (3838 votes) to 19.81% (3105 votes).

KING5 reported at 4:35pm that Godden has conceded the race to the general election to Maddux. He and Johnson will be our Seattle City Council District 4 candidates on the November 3rd general election ballot.

The officer was driving southbound on the freeway, just after 4 am, approaching the 65th Street exit, when the suspect vehicle intentionally rammed the patrol car from behind. The impact caused the officer’s vehicle to move across the lanes of traffic and into the embankment. The suspect vehicle then fled the scene.

Southbound I-5 north of NE 65th Street is affected to do the investigation at the hit and run scene.

From police scanner chat, it now looks as though the suspect fled in his vehicle east on NE 65th Street, and was stopped at Ravenna Avenue NE by officers. Homicide detectives are on scene now, as is Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole. Waiting on details from SPD to confirm an officer-involved shooting and the suspect being deceased.

At this time the intersection of NE 65th Street and Ravenna Avenue NE as well as the 6500 block of Ravenna Avenue NE is closed for police investigation.

More updates as we’re able.

UPDATE (5:44am): The main line of southbound I-5 is closed at this time from approximately NE 85th Street to NE 65th Street. WSDOT has opened the express lanes southbound for all traffic.

The choir is under the direction of Ruth E. Dwyer, who is also the founder and artistic director. Dwyer is the sister of Judy Dwyer Schulte, and aunt of Ravenna neighborhood friends Dan, Karina and Elias Schulte.

From the event’s press release:

In honor of our First Responders and the Schulte Family

…

Please join members of the Sand Point UMC Choir, Les Martin (Director), and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir in a joyful concert of hope, joy, endurance and the celebration of those who help one another. A free will donation will be taken with proceeds going to anti-drunk driving education and traumatic brain injury research and therapy.

Tonight, Tuesday, May 5, the Ravenna Bryant Community Association will hold their spring community meeting. The meeting is being held at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Avenue NE) from 7-9 PM.

These expanded-from-their-usual-board-meeting events tend to feature more widely-relevant speakers and a round of board member elections, and that’s just what’s on the agenda for tonight (from the RBCA website):

Tonight, Wednesday, April 29, the 43rd and 46th District Democrats are hosting a forum for the current slate of Seattle City Council District 4 candidates: Jean Godden, Rob Johnson, Michael Maddux, and Tony Provine.

The forum is being held at Roosevelt High School (1410 NE 66th Street).

From the Facebook event page:

You will have an opportunity to mingle with all of the candidates running for office between 6:30pm and 7:00pm; the main program begins at 7:00pm. Come to hear more from the candidates, their positions on important issues to our legislative districts/District 4, and get to know what they stand for.

The moderator for the event is Sarah Anne Lloyd, one-third of the Seattlish trio of “mouthy broads” who have been covering Seattle politics, news, and events since 2013.

We will be there, typing as quickly and accurately as we can, and you can follow along our live coverage below.

The University of Washington and Capitol Hill Light Rail Stations are now just one year a way from opening to trains and passengers. How is transit going to get you to those stations?

Ahead of the University Link light rail extension opening in the spring of next year, King County Metro is proposing a slew of changes to Northeast Seattle Metro routes to better integrate service with the next link in the light rail chain: the University Link.

We will be at the open house, and plan to provide live coverage below this post.

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The question for Northeast Seattle transit users regarding proposed route changes appears to be (generalizing here): Are we willing to trade in under-performing routes and stops for increased frequency?

We asked around, and this Metro stop sign, with the daisy logo in the lower left corner, dates to at least the mid-1990s. (Stop #38000, west-bound on NE 65 Street and Ravenna Ave NE).

For example: Could you imagine life without the good ol’ 71 Express? It’s tough, especially for residents in Wedgwood and View Ridge where service would be reduced. But what if it were replaced by a heavily revamped Route 16 that arrived every 15 minutes (instead of the 71’s 30 minutes) and created an enhanced east-west transit corridor from Green Lake all the way to Sand Point Way? Are residents willing to walk a little further for changes like these?

More on the map I mentioned above: For a visual, flipbook-style look at present service and proposed changes, we recommend checking out the map found in this Seattle Transit Blog post. Hover your cursor over the map image found there, then click and hold the vertical white line. Move the line left and right to see the changes.

Tommy and Elise Ortega are in the midst of turning what used to be an old motorcycle shop into a neighborhood craft brewery. A patio will grace the front of the establishment, while the indoor seating will include a view of the brew equipment currently being installed on a sunken platform in the floor. Brother-in-law Bud will be running the front of the house.

Interior of the Ol Faithful Brewing space, currently under construction (photo by Old Faithful Brewing Co, used with permission).

More about the Ortegas’ vision for Ol Faithful (via email):

We plan on having the locals decide what they want on some taps, perhaps by having a large chalk board, or something of that nature. We also plan on having some locals help with some brews that were elected by the community. We plan to engage the neighborhood, not only by providing craft beers, but being part of the ongoing development of it. Volunteering, sponsoring, and being actively visual to the community.

The name, Ol Faithful, comes from the couple’s name for their home — a Craftsman in Fremont built in 1907:

We think our house has been faithful to all it’s prior owners (its a very old house, I can’t believe its still standing), so we named the house [Ol Faithful]. Seeing how we always brewed there, it was easy to just transition the name to the brewery. (now we just need a new name for our house)